11 May 2008

Rusty Bucket

The Rusty Bucket is one of two tavern chains that have descended like locusts on the Central Ohio horizon over the last year (the other one is the Old Bag of Nails). There are six locations in and around Columbus. They feature a wide variety of brews on draft and tap as well as a menu with a pantheon of bar grazing options.

The downside to this menu, unfortunately, is that your vegetarian dining options are sorely limited. Your appetizers are limited to your choice of deep fried pickles and the hummus plate. I decided on hummus, which featured warm pita bread and a pile of lettuce, tomato, onion and black olive. It was tasty despite the fact that it was lonely. Vegetarian items on the menu require plenty of friends to keep them from feeling lonely. The only item keeping my hummus company was the Gracelandic delight of fried pickle spears.

The vegetarian entree also lived all alone...panko crusted macaroni and cheese. The breadcrumbs gave the dish a firm, crunchy character. It was served with a plain house salad that is pictured in the dictionary next to the word humdrum. The salad was an avalanche of iceberg lettuce, tomato, onion, mushroom, cheese and croutons with a limited serving of vinaigrette dressing. The salad was as exciting as the prospects of the latest REO Speedwagon reunion tour.

The interior of the restaurant is classic wood with enough televisions to keep most areas within viewing distance. The Westerville location is not terribly dissimilar from the Worthington locale, albeit a touch smaller. I much prefer the beer selection at Rusty Bucket, which features Chimay, Great Lakes, Boddington, Stella Artois and a variety of other choices, to the regular menu.

On future visits, I'll be drinking and not eating at the Rusty Bucket. That is, until they find some companionship for my lonesome vegetarian menu items.